Hair dryer

ABSTRACT

A PORTABLE, SOFT-BONNET HAIR DRYING PROVIDED WITH A COMBINATION BOILER AND HEATER WHICH SERVES TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CONVERT WATER TO STEAM AND TO HEAT FORCED AIR WHICH IS SUBSEQUENTLY UNITED WITH THE STEAM FOR DELIVERY TO THE BONNET. THE HAIR DRYER CONSTITUTES A SELF-CONTAINED UNIT, IN THAT, THE BOILER UNIT, UNLIKE PRIOR ART CONSTRUCTIONS, IS DISPOSED IN THE SAME HOUSING WITH THE FAN AND HEATER.

H. H. BARKER June 15, 1971 HAIR DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1. 1968 3 FIG.3. L

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INVENTOR Harry H. Barker AGENT WITNESSEjKa-an Lr/ X fiv June 15, 1971 BARKER 3,584,390

HAIR DRYER Filed Aug. 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4.

FIG.5.

United States Patent Ofice' 3,584,390 HAIR DRYER Harry H. Barker, Mansfield, Ohio, assiguor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed Aug. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 749,486 Int. Cl. A45d 20/1 8 US. C]. 34-99 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable, soft-bonnet hair dryer provided with a combination boiler and heater which serves to simultaneously convert water to steam and to heat forced air which is subsequently united with the steam for delivery to the bonnet. The hair dryer constitutes a self-contained unit, in that, the boiler unit, unlike prior art constructions, is disposed in the same housing with the fan and heater.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to portable hair dryers and, more particularly, to soft-bonnet hair dryers of the portable type.

The effect of moisture on womens hair as an aid in the conditioning thereof is well known. For a long time, a common practice in setting the hair has been to apply water followed by rolling of the hair on curlers. Alternately, the hair has been rolled with curlers, while in a dry condition, and subsequently treated by applying wet towels.

Such practices paved the way for the application of moisture in conjunction with salon type hair dryers. Such constructions rely on the steam rising from the steam generator to the hood, the steam generator being remote from the hood. Because salon type hair dryers are constructed from rigid materials, the steam rises quite satisfactorily, but the same is not true with respect to hair dryers utilizing a soft or collapsible bonnet. This is attributable, at least in part, to the presence of restrictions inherent in a flexible construction. For example, the collapsible bonnet comprises sheets of plastic material bonded together in a manner to provide air ducts therebetween. In the collapsed state, the sheets of material impede the flow of steam.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved soft-bonnet hair dryer.

It is a more particular object of this invention to pro vide a new and improved soft-bonnet hair dryer which is capable of applying steam to the hair.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a softbonnet hair dryer, mechanism for simultaneously generating steam and heating fan-forced air which heated air and steam are subsequently combined before application to the hair.

SUMMARY Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the abovecited objects by the provision, in a portable hair dryer of the soft-bonnet type, of a combination water boiler and air heater which converts the water to steam while simultaneously heating fan forced air. The heated air is combined with the steam and is then conveyed to the bonnet.

The combination boiler and heater comprises an aluminum casting having a sheathed heater embedded therein, intermediate a water reservoir portion and a plurality of heat dissipating fins, across which the air is directed. The reservoir portion is provided with a cover having an aperture therein for the introduction of water. Adjacent ends of the reservoir and of the cover cooperate to form a slot therebetween for egress of steam. The forced air 3,584,390 Patented June 15, 1971 travels along and between the fins below the embedded heater and at the end of the fins adjacent the slot, picks up the steam. The steam-laden air is then directed, by means of a flexible conduit, to a collapsible bonnet comprising two sheets of material bonded together to form air ducts for directing the air to outlet holes provided in the innermost sheet of material.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in view of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment forming a part hereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair dryer representing the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a hair dryer casing structure forming a part of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the hair dryer casing structure shown in FIG. 2 but with a top cover removed to reveal a combination heater and boiler structure forming a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally a hair dryer apparatus comprising a casing structure 11 having a hinged top 12 shown in the open position. A conventional hood or collapsible bonnet 13, adapted to cover the hair of the user, is connected to air outlet means 14 by a flexible hose or conduit 16. The outlet means 14 is in the form of an opening in a cover 18, provided for the casing structure 11.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a support plate 19 is prO- vided in the casing structure 11. The plate 19 supports a motor 21 on its top Wall while the motor shaft extends through an opening 22 and has staked to the end thereof an impeller 23.

An upstanding wall 24 (FIGS. 2 and 4) integral with the casing structure 11 has a substantially scroll-shaped configuration as viewed in FIG. 2. The wall 24 cooperates with the plate 19 to form an impeller chamber 26 and an air duct 27 communicating therewith. Formed integrally with the wall 24 are a plurality of screw receiving support posts 28 to which the plate 19 is secured by a plurality of screws 29 and a pair of depending sleeves 31 carried by the underside of the cover 18 (see FIG. 5). A plurality of screws 32 extend through the depending sleeves 31 and are received in the posts 28 and posts 33.

Energization of the motor 21 by means of a stacked switch structure 34, causes the impeller 23 to draw air, in the direction of the arrows, through a plurality of openings 36 provided in the cover 18. The air continues through a plurality of openings 37 in the plate 19, through the impeller 23 and chamber 26, to the outlet 17 via the air warming portion of a combination boiler and heater structure 38. The structure 38 is secured to the plate 19 by screws 29 and is partially disposed in the air duct 27.

The stacked switch structure 34 is of a well known type comprising a plurality of contact carrying arms 39, 41 and 42 spaced, one from the other by insulating washers 43. A conventional bimetal control member 44 having a pin member carried by the free end thereof, engages the arm 42 to effect opening and closing of the contacts carried by the arms 39, 41 and 42. To adjust the temperature at which contact making and breaking occurs, a conventional rotatable shaft member 46 is provided which shaft is actuatable by a control knob 47. The contact arm 39 is operatively connected to a resistance heater47, to be t discussed hereinafter, while the contact arms 41 and 42 are operatively connected to a common lead in the motor 21 in that order. The leads and their connections are conventional and therefore have been omitted for sake of clarity.

The switch structure 34 is secured to the combination boiler and heater structure 38 which structure comprises a cast construction, preferably of aluminum material. The switch structure 34 is so calibrated as to limit the maxi mum temperature of the casting to 250 F. The resistance heater 47 is embedded in the casting intermediate a boiler section 48 and an air heating section comprising a plurality of heat dissipating fins 49. The fins 49 serve to channel the air through the duct 27 to the outlet 17. The heater capacity is preferably 300 watts and the casting is so constructed as to transfer sufficient heat to the air in order to raise the temperature thereof to a maximum of 120 F.

The boiler section 48 comprises a plurality of upstanding walls 51, 52 and 53, a cover member 54 and a bottom wall 55 delineating a chamber or cavity wherein water is converted to steam. The steam, thus generated, discharges through a clearance opening 56 between the cover member 54 in the upstanding wall 53, and is picked up by the heated air in an area indicated at 57. The bottom wall 55 is provided with a plurality of L-shaped water traps 58 which allow water to be equally distributed over the surface of the bottom wall 55 when the casing structure is in a level position. If the casing structure 11 is tipped the water is prevented from leaving the boiler section, by the L-shaped water traps 58. The cover 18 is provided with a recessed area 59 having an opening 61 therein which communicates with an opening 62 in the cover member 54. The opening 61 is adapted to be selectively opened by means of a plug or stopper '63 and is utilized for introduction of water into the boiler section from a measuring bottle 64 stored in a recess 66 in the cover 18.

Since numerous changes may be made in the abovedescribed apparatus and difierent embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Hair dryer structure comprising:

a collapsible bonnet;

casing structure;

means in said casing structure for effecting flow of air;

means in said casing structure for heating the flowing air;

means in said casing structure for converting water to steam;

both said means for heating air and means for converting water having a common wall with the heater embedded therein and constitute a cast structure having a water reservoir portion on one side of said wall and a finned heat dissipating portion on the opposing .sideof said wall; t t 7. said casing structure including a cover member having a water fill opening disposed in a recess in said cover member;

said fill opening communicating with said reservoir portion; said reservoir portion comprises a plurality of upstanding walls cooperating with said cover member to form a cavity; one of said upstanding walls and said cover delineating a steam egress communicating with an area wherein the steam is mixed with the heated air. 2. Hair dryer structure comprising: a collapsible bonnet; casing structure; means in said casing structure for forcing the fiow of air; means defining a generally enclosed steam generating chamber including reservoir means for holding water and orifice means above said reservoir for permitting the egress of steam from said chamber; means defining an air duct for directing said forced air through a portion of said casings wherein, said means defining said chamber and said means defining said duct include a common wall comprising a casting having upwardly extending peripheral walls generally defining said reservoir means on one side of said wall and fin means for dissipating heat into said air duct depending from the opposite side of said wall; means for heating said common wall sufficiently to convert said water in said reservoir to steam and to heat said air passing through said duct; and means providing a flow path for said forced air from said duct to said bonnet, and wherein said steam is emitted from said chamber through said orifice into said flow path to be mixed with said air. 3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said means for heating said common wall comprises a sheathed heating element embedded in said casting.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,759,713 8/1956 Maniscalco 21-119X 3,004,540 10/1961 Ronzi 34-99X 3,209,124 9/1965 Morrissey et al. 219-362X 3,290,794 12/1966 Mango 34-99 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,026,491 3/1958 Germany 132-9 62,693 7/1939 Norway 219-263 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner H. B. RAMEY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 132-9 

